Earth anchor

ABSTRACT

An elongated shaft, having one sharpened end, is provided with a first single plate helix adjacent its sharpened end. A portion of the uppermost first helix convolution forms a laterally enlarged first blade portion. A second single plate helix is connected to the shaft, intermediate its ends, and forms a laterally enlarged second blade portion extending in a diametrically opposite direction with respect to the first blade portion. Head means on the other end of the shaft permits rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis and engages a guy line.

Umted States Patent 1 [111 3,710,523 Taylor 1 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] EARTH ANCHOR Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh [76] Inventor: John D. Taylor, Route 3, P0. Box Attorney-Robert Rhea 5, Perryton, Tex. 79070 [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Aug. 3, 1971 Appl. No.: 168,647

[52] US. Cl. ..52/157 [51] Int. Cl. ..E02d 5/80 [58] Field 01 Search ..52/153-159, 23

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 505,811 10/1893 Brown ..52/l56 1,109,020 9/1914 Skiff et al. ..52/l57 An elongated shaft, having one sharpened end, is provided with a first single plate helix adjacent its shar pened end. A portion of the uppermost first helix convolution forms a laterally enlarged first blade portion. A second single plate helix is connected to the shaft, intermediate its ends, and forms a laterally enlarged second blade portion extending in a diametrically opposite direction with respect to the first blade portion. Head means on the other end of the shaft permits rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis and engages a guy line.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJMI 16 I973 3.710523 FIG. 2

JOHN D. TAYLOR nvvarvroe kw/KW AGE/VT EARTH ANCHOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention.

The present invention relates to anchors and more particularly to an auger-type earth engaging anchor.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

Earth engaging anchors are well known and usually comprise an auger flange secured to the depending or earth engaging portion of a shaft. Some of the prior patents disclosing such augers comprise a single blade flange generally describing a cone-shape by its outer periphery. Some of the auger flanges terminate in a diametrically enlarged portion, such as the fence post of U.S. Pat. Nos. 345,075; 1,373,560 and the screw anchor of US. Pat. No. 3,016,117. Other patents, such as the anchor of US. Pat. Nos. 1,225,448 and 1,795,327, disclose a relatively large flange at the depending or earth engaging end portion of the shaft.

The principal distinction between this invention and the above numbered patents is the provision of an auger flange or plate adjacent the sharpened earth engaging end of a shaft wherein a portion of the uppermost convolution of the plate terminates in a relatively large radially extending blade portion and the forming of a second auger plate forming a radially enlarged blade portion extending in an opposite direction with respect to the lowermost blade portion intermediate the ends of the shaft and having a cooperating lead with respect to the lead of the lowermost auger plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An elongated shaft, having a sharpened earth penetrating end, is provided with an auger plate adjacent its sharpened end. This first auger plate terminates in spaced relation with respect to the sharpened end in a radially enlarged blade forming portion extending laterally of the shaft through an arc of substantially 180. A second substantially singe convolution auger plate is secured to the shaft intermediate its ends and forms a second radially enlarged blade portion extending laterally of the shaft through an arc of substantially l80 diametrically opposite the first named blade. A hub, secured to the other end of the shaft, is transversely drilled for receiving a shaft 'rotating handle and has a loop secured thereto for receiving one end portion of a guy line.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an auger-type anchor which may be comparatively easily inserted into substantially any type soil and having blade means for engaging unbroken soil in response to a lateral and upward force applied to the anchor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the device in operative position below the surface of the earth and illustrating, by dotted lines, the manner in which the anchor blades engage unbroken soil in response to force applied to its uppermost end; and,

FIGS. 2 and 3 are horizontal cross-sectional views, partially in elevation, taken substantially along the lines 22 and 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE IPREF ERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates the anchor, as a whole, comprising an elongated shaft 12 having a depending sharpened end portion 14 and a head member 16 connected to its opposite end. Beginning adjacent the sharpened end 14 and extending part way toward the head 16, a screw-type auger is formed comprising a first single plate helix 18 which is radially increased gradually by each convolution. The number of convolutions of the first helix is not critical, such as from two to four, to insure progressive soil engagement in response to rotation of the shaft 12. A portion of the uppermost convolution of the single plate 18 is radially increased to form an enlarged substantially semi-ovate first blade portion 20 having its minor axis projecting laterally of the vertical axis of the shaft 12 a substantial distance, preferably at least twice the diameter of the adjacent complete convolution of the plate 18, and extending through an arc of substantially Intermediate its ends, the shaft has secured thereto a second plate helix 22 extending through substantially a single convolution having its lead equal to the lead of the first helix 18 and cooperatively spaced above the first blade 20 for entering the path formed by the first blade portion 20 as it enters the earth, indicated by the line 24. This second plate helix 22 defines a radially enlarged second blade portion 26, substantially identically formed with respect to the first blade 20, extending through an arc of substantially 180 around the shaft 12 and oppositely disposed with respect to the first blade 20. Obviously the peripheral edge of the first and second plates may be sharpened for enhancing an earth penetrating or cutting action.

The head 16 comprises a diametrically enlarged cylindrical portion or hub 28 coaxially secured to the shaft 12 and transversely drilled, as at 30, for receiving a rod or bar, not shown, for rotating the shaft 12 about its longitudinal axis. A rod 32, of selected length, is bent intermediate its ends to substantially form an in verted U-shape and is secured by its respective leg portions, as by welding, indicated at 34 (FIG. 2), to the outer surface of the cylinder 28 in diametrically opposed relation to form a loop for receiving one end portion of a guy line or cable 36. The upper end surface of the hub 28 is normal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12 and is diametrically provided with an indicator, such as an arrow 38 formed or scored thereon, which is aligned with a diametric line taken through the minor diameter of the blades 20 and 26. The arrow 38 preferably points in the direction of the outermost limit of the upper blade 26. The purpose of the arrow is to align the minor diameters of the blades 20 and 26 in the direction of pull or force to be applied to the anchor 10 by the guy line 36.

The purpose of the blades 20 and 26 is to enter unbroken soil outwardly of the cylindrical plane generated in the earth by the rotation of the shaft and its blades 20 and 26 as the anchor is inserted into the earth. This is accomplished by an upward and laterally directed force applied to the anchor 10 by the guy line 36 which in many cases tend to move the anchor toward its dotted line position of FIG. 1, thus, moving the shaft 12 laterally through the soil broken by the insertion of the anchor and forcing the blades and 26 into the soil laterally of the previous position of the blades as is shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1. The blades 20 and 26 thus engaging unbroken soil increases the holding power of the anchor which varies in accordance with the type of soil the anchor has been inserted into.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

1 claim:

1. An earth anchor, comprising:

an elongated vertical shaft having a pointed end;

a first single plate helix having at least two convolutions formed on the depending end portion of said shaft with one end of the helix being joined to said pointed end, the uppermost convolution having a greater radial extension than the remaining convolutions throughout an arc of substantially 180 forming a laterally enlarged first blade portion;

a second single plate helix having at least one convolution formed on said shaft intermediate its ends in cooperating spaced relationwith said first helix, said second helix having a radially extended portion extending throughout an arc of substantially forming a laterally enlarged second blade portion substantially equal in area to said first blade portion and projecting in a diametrically opposite direction; and,

a structure engaging head connected with the upper end portion of said shaft. 2. The anchor according to claim 1 in which the convolutions of said first helix gradually increase in radial extension between said pointed end and said first blade portion.

3. The anchor according to claim 2 in which the maximum radial extension of said first and said second blade portions is at least twice the radial extension of the first helix convolution below said first blade portion.

4. The anchor according to claim 3 which said head comprises:

a hub coaxially secured to said shaft, said hub having a transverse bore intermediate its ends; and,

an inverted substantially U-shaped rod having legs respectively secured in diametrically opposed relation to said hub.

5. The anchor according to claim 4 in which said hub has an upper end surface normal to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said upper end surface having a diametric indicator formed thereon aligned with a diametric line taken through the minor axes of said first and said second blade portions. 

1. An earth anchor, comprising: an elongated vertical shaft having a pointed end; a first single plate helix having at least two convolutions formed on the depending end portion of said shaft with one end of the helix being joined to said pointed end, the uppermost convolution having a greater radial extension than the remaining convolutions throughout an arc of substantially 180* forming a laterally enlarged first blade portion; a second single plate helix having at least one convolution formed on said shaft intermediate its ends in cooperating spaced relation with said first helix, said second helix having a radially extended portion extending throughout an arc of substantially 180* forming a laterally enlarged second blade portion substantially equal in area to said first blade portion and projecting in a diametrically opposite direction; and, a structure engaging head connected with the upper end portion of said shaft.
 2. The anchor according to claim 1 in which the convolutions of said first helix gradually increase in radial extension between said pointed end and said first blade portion.
 3. The anchor according to claim 2 in which the maximum radial extension of said first and said second blade portions is at least twice the radial extension of the first helix convolution below said first blade portion.
 4. The anchor according to claim 3 which said head comprises: a hub coaxially secured to said shaft, said hub having a transverse bore intermediate its ends; and, an inverted substantially U-shaped rod having legs respectively secured in diametrically opposed relation to said hub.
 5. The anchor according to claim 4 in which said hub has an upper end surface normal to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said upper end surface having a diametric indicator formed thereon aligned with a diametric line taken through the minor axes of said first and said second blade portions. 